End of the Show

If you haven’t heard about the John Galliano catastrophe, you’ve probably been living under a rock (or reading an actual book and doing activities that don’t require technology, if so, good for you, I really should do more of that myself).

At first, I didn’t make a judgment about whether or not it was true, and then the video came out. And now his legacy is that of a genius designer whose heinous bigotry and disgusting remarks brought down a prolific career. I have no idea if those are his true beliefs, or if he was simply incredibly drunk and angry and hurled what he thought would be the most hurtful insult. Ultimately, I don’t care – one way or another, he said what he said and there is absolutely no excuse.

I would say what a shame for the fashion world, but I don’t know if that is the right word. Is it really a shame to displace someone who has shown himself to be a bigot? He is an incredible talent, but maybe this will pave the way for other talents to shine, and those talents will belong to people who don’t hold such disturbing beliefs about people of any religions, race, gender, etc…

As for the Christian Dior show that served as the last showcase of Galliano’s work for the brand, it began with a speech by CEO Sidney Toledano, assuring those gathered (and listening around the world) that the “heart of the House of Dior” would go on beating, kept strong by its foundation, namely the seamstresses and craftspeople who turn the designers visions into reality. Fittingly, the show was ended with an appearance by those same men and women in lieu of Galliano’s typical grand exit.